By Masiyephambili Weekly
The City of Bulawayo has improved water pumping capacity from the UMzingwane Dam by 39 percent, demonstrating how the injection of financial resources can regenerate infrastructure and contribute to improved service delivery.
The City on Friday commissioned new pumps and accessories at the UMzingwane Pump Station to improve the delivery of bulk water to the City. The commissioned equipment was worth more than US$686,000 from the ZWG22.7 million that was disbursed by the Government to augment water supplies in Bulawayo.
The project was implemented in May 2024 and was completed in May 2026. The new infrastructure included the installation of pumps with two motors and two refurbished motors, among various accessories, including electrical equipment.
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His Worship, Senator David Coltart, the Mayor, represented by the Environmental Management and Engineering Services Committee.
Chairperson, Councillor (Engineer) Royini Sekete, said it was a milestone for the City to rehabilitate infrastructure that has surpassed 50 years of service. availing the financial resources that enabled the Municipality to improve its water infrastructure.
“We are pleased as a city because we have seen the replacement of deteriorated infrastructure that was over 50 years old, having been installed in the 1970s. The UMzingwane pumps, like most of our water and sanitation infrastructure, were now prone to frequent breakdowns, water leakages, rusting pipework and valve malfunctions, among other challenges,” said Senator Coltart.
“We also faced many challenges with electrical faults and transformer inadequacy affecting the operations of the system. I am happy that today we are seeing the commissioning of not only the pumps but also related electrical infrastructure, with the contract having included the installation of a transformer to help improve electrical capacity and reliability.”
The Mayor commended the Government’s intervention in providing the financial resources that enabled the Municipality to improve its water infrastructure.
“I want to extend my appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe for releasing the funds which enabled the implementation of this project. T he Government heard the City’s plea and, for that, we are grateful. We appreciate the Government for its continued technical and financial support as we seek to provide water security in Bulawayo,” stated the Mayor.
“The City remains committed to working closely with Government and development partners to modernise and strengthen our water infrastructure. The newly installed pumps will also enable the City to reduce its operational costs, especially those related to power consumption.”
He said the UMzingwane Pump Station is critical in the conveyance of water to Bulawayo and that the rehabilitation of its infrastructure guarantees improved water delivery to residents and stakeholders. Senator Coltart said the pumps were also installed at a time when watershedding was reduced, ensuring frequent access to water by the residents.
“The pump station project has increased pumping capacity from 31 Megalitres per day to 43 Megalitres per day, representing a 39 percent increase. The completed works complement the reduction in the water-shedding programme from 96 hours per week to 72 hours per week, which we introduced following improved inflows into the city’s supply dams at the end of the 2025/26 rainy season. With the City now able to pump water from UMzingwane Dam, we can strive to maintain the current water-shedding programme,” he stated.
Senator Coltart said that while the City has seen improvements in dam water levels, there is a need to secure additional water resources to enable the local authority to guarantee a 24-hour supply for residents and stakeholders. He stated that the City is working towards replacing its obsolete infrastructure, which will help reduce non-revenue water losses that are currently costly.
“We are also focused on ensuring that we secure water resources for Bulawayo, as much of our infrastructure has become obsolete and requires replacement. In the City, we need to reduce our Non-Revenue Water (NRW) from 45 percent to at least 30 percent and eventually even lower. These efforts will reduce the burden of water challenges on the residents of the City of Kings,” he stated.
Senator Coltart thanked the Bulawayo Technical Committee on Water for its outstanding work, saying that through its recommendations, Bulawayo residents and stakeholders would enjoy the benefits of its efforts. He said water conservation strategies remain key to securing Bulawayo’s water resources.
“Weather experts have predicted the possibility of an El Niño-induced weather season, highlighting the need to conserve our water resources. I wish to urge residents to partner with us in ensuring that we conserve our limited resources. Let us work together in building a resilient, sustainable and water-secure Bulawayo for current and future generations. Let us all protect this infrastructure against vandalism,” he said.
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